"I'm Lindsay Cavanaugh." I turned my head as I looked at my reflection. "I'm Cavanaugh. Lindsay Cavanaugh." I laughed a little. Who the hell did I think I was, James Bond? My fingers ran through my recently shortened hair, finally resting on my collarbone. It was all a part of the job. New haircut, new name, new everything. Once I got the word, I'd be off and living in a small apartment in the dangerous part of town. I had to get as far away from my life now as possible. There couldn't be anything for them to trace back to me.
The knock at the door startled me from my train of thought.
"Bells? It's me."
"Come in Dad." My eyes remained on the mirror as I saw him enter the door.
He stopped when he saw my appearance.
"Wow they cut a lot." He gestured towards me hair. "I barely recognized you."
"Rub it in Dad." I hadn't had hair that reached above my elbow since I was five years old. "They put some highlights in too, in case you wanted to know."
"It looks good sweetheart. Relax. I know you're nervous."
I turned to face him.
"I'm not really nervous Dad." That was a lie. "I'm just anxious to get in there." That wasn't.
He sat down on the edge of my couch and stared at his hands for a few minutes.
"Well you won't have to be anxious much longer."
I froze and turned towards him.
"How long is much longer?"
"You have a meeting tomorrow with one of the Volturi's guys. Mario's Pizza Joint on 13th." He tossed a manila file my way.
"His name's Jasper." I opened the file and saw a picture of an attractive blonde guy staring back at me with a heartwarming smile. Pretty ironic considering he was part of the mafia. He looked young, maybe my age or a couple years older. "He acts like a sort of…fisher for the family. They say he's got a way of knowing what people are all about. If you're nervous, he'll know. If you're vengeful, he'll know. Keep your cool. The family trusts him with bringing new people in. He doesn't vouch for you, you don't get in. Got it?"
I nodded, scanning over Jasper's file.
"This one here's name is Emmett." He handed me another file. This guy looked big. "He works as the enforcer." I tilted my head. Seemed appropriate. There was something tender and big brotherly about his face. Maybe it was the dimples. I closed my eyes. Stop it Bella. Those are the dimples of a killer.
"The last one's a guy named Edward. He's fairly new, started working for the family a few months ago, so watch out for him. He's still trying to prove himself. Word on the street is that he's a real hard ass. Doesn't take bullshit from anyone. Can tell if you're lying just like you were Pinocchio with your nose sticking out twenty damn feet. You gotta be a damn good liar with this one Bells. He'll be on a witch hunt for anything that will gain him more cred with Aro."
He finally handed me Edward's file. I flipped it open and was taken aback by the man in the picture. He was…breathtakingly gorgeous. Even the stern look on his face was beautiful. His eyes were just…mesmerizing. I've never seen that shade of green before.
"Uh. Bells?" My dad elbowed me slightly.
"Oh. Sorry. What were you saying?"
"You're meeting Jasper tomorrow at ten a.m. Our contact set it up. While you're at your meeting they'll be one guy on the outside keeping an eye on you while the rest of us move all your stuff into your new place, which is on 3rd Street. After that we may not be able to contact you. And it's too early for you to wear a wire, they might check you. So you're on your own for a while kiddo. Be smart." He got up and started towards the door. "Be careful Bells. You know…I love you and I was only trying to protect you. But I believe in you." The edge of his mouth pulled up into a smirk.
I walked over slowly and hugged him. "I love you too Dad." I gave him a final squeeze before letting him go.
It was getting late. I decided I should go to bed. I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow.
I tossed and turned all night, unable to keep my mind off the job. This was the only chance I had to make it right for Jake. It was the most important thing I'd ever do.
I finally got up at 7 in the morning, after my night of restlessness. I knew it was no use. I wasn't going to get any sleep. I took my time in the shower, not knowing the next time I'd have a place so nice to shower in. I dragged the comb through my hair extra slow, taking my time to get out all the knots. I even used my blow dryer to make it exceptionally straight. Each time I stared at the clock my heart skipped a beat. I didn't think it was possible for time to move slower and faster at the same time.
My hands skimmed through my closet full of new clothes. Jeans? No, too casual. A skirt? No, I wanted them to take me seriously. I opted for a very professional looking pantsuit. I kept it a little sexy wearing a lacy silk cami underneath. It was important for me to demonstrate some kind of control over the men. Even if it was just in their pants.
My eyes glanced toward the clock again. 9:30. I should get going. I don't want to be late. You don't show up late to a meeting with the mob. You show up late, you won't show up anywhere else period. I took one last look around my apartment, grabbed my brand new cell phone and my brand new purse that held my brand new identity and walked out.
As I rounded the corner I saw the pizza place. It looked pretty dark. Now that I thought about it 10 a.m. is a little early for a slice of pepperoni. My eyes shifted slightly to the black sedan parked across the street. I knew someone was in there watching my every move, ready to pull me out of there at the first sign of trouble. I barely acknowledged them as I walked past.
I noticed a large man standing guard at the entrance to the pizza parlor. It was Emmett. I recognized him from his photo. He stood in a tight black t-shirt and black jeans with his arms crossed leaning against the door of the place. Put on your game face Bella, it's time to go.
I tilted my head towards the sky, keeping it high as I walked towards him, all insecurities gone. I was Lindsay Cavanaugh, successful earner for the most notorious mafia families. I had planned to walk right past Emmett without a word, just walk in like I owned the place. He eyed me as I crossed the street and headed towards the front door. As I reached for the door handle, he put a strong hand on my shoulder.
"Can I help you miss?"
"Unless you're Jasper, then no." I confidently pushed through his hold and started to walk through the door.
"So you're the one they recommended?" He leaned in closer. "The earner?" His lips were inches from my ear. "You got a name doll?"
I panicked. I wasn't prepared for questions from the bodybuilder.
"Bella," I said quickly. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I hadn't even walked through the door and I messed up. I guess Lindsay was out the window.
"Bella…" He grabbed a lock of my hair and ran it through his fingers. "That's a pretty name. You got a last name Bella?"
I was a little more prepared this time.
"Cavanaugh."
He dropped my hair and returned back to his post.
"Jazz is inside waiting for you."
"Thank you…I didn't get your name?"
He smiled towards me with those killer dimples. "Emmett."
"Emmett." I smirked and walked through the doors.
The large room I stepped into was dark and empty. Empty except for the long table at the other end of the room, where Jasper sat. I felt like I'd just stepped into the Godfather. Next thing I'd know, Jasper would be making me an offer I couldn't refuse.
"Miss Cavanaugh? Is it?" Jasper stood up, flashed a smile and extended his hand to mine. How did he know? I noticed the television screen to my right. It was a security camera of the entranceway, complete with sound. Emmett had started whistling and cat calling at every girl that walked by.
"Yes. Jasper I assume?" I shook his hand firmly and managed a slight smile.
"Please, take a seat." He gestured to the chair in front of me.
"Thank you." I pulled the chair out and took a seat, placing my bag next to my feet.
"So Bella. What can you do for us?"
"I don't play fuck around Jasper. You're the ones who called me. You know what I do. The better question is what do you want me to do for you?" I was in shock. I had no idea where that came from.
"Touché." Jasper smiled and rubbed his hands slowly together. "You see we recently…lost," he snickered, "our earner. Turned out to be a rat. We had to…take care of him." My fist clenched under the table. Relax, Bella. You won't do Jacob any good if you get yourself killed now.
"Excellent. The more of them out of this business the better." It was surprised I could say that with a calm and collected expression. This man was talking about disposing of my best friend.
"Anyway, we bring in some large shipments, deal with some big people, we need an earner who knows what they're doing. We're the best, and from what we hear from our sources you're the b-"
"I am the best," I interrupted. I was absolutely dumbfounded at where this overconfidence was coming from. But I was thankful for it; it was just what I needed.
Jasper leaned back in his chair and brought his hand to his chin.
"Indeed." His eyes narrowed on me, like he was trying to figure me out. This was it. I sat up tall in my chair and stared directly back at him, never breaking eye contact.
He finally cracked a smile and leaned back towards the table. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper and a lighter and slid them towards me.
"You're going to meet the boss. Memorize the number on this sheet of paper. Stop in the shop next to us right now and buy a pack of cigarettes. Stand outside and smoke one, then light this piece of paper on fire. There must be no trace of this, understand? No telephone calls, no bathroom stops, no stops in the mirror to check your hair. Take the Subway to 18th, then a cab back to 10th. Walk into a shop called Tommy's Toupees and go out the back entrance. Walk down the alley and look for the number written on this sheet."
He stood up and nodded to Emmett, who was peeking his head in the doorway.
"We'll see you soon Bella." He and Emmett slipped down a dark, hallway leading to the back of the pizza parlor.
I grabbed the piece of paper and opened it up. 4933. I tucked that number in my memory and the sheet of paper and the lighter in my pocket. Picking up my bag, I turned and walked out of the joint. There was a small liquor store right next-door, just like Jasper had said. Before walking in I coughed three times, the signal for "Do Not Follow." I watched as the black sedan pulled away. I did as Jasper said and walked into the shop.
"A pack of Marlboros please."
I handed the man my money and stepped back outside. I took the lighter and the piece of paper from my pocket and a cigarette from the pack. I brought it to my lips and held up the lighter, setting the end of the stick on fire. I was not a smoker. In fact, I'd never smoked a cigarette in my entire life. I inhaled deeply, trying to imitate what I'd seen. I coughed the first couple of times, but eventually was able to hold it in. When I was close enough to finished I discreetly lit the small piece of paper on fire and threw it and my cigarette to the ground, smashing them both into the pavement with my boot.
It took me a full hour before I was walking through Tommy's Toupees. The back entrance was a little tough to find, though a dark hallway in the back. I exited into a long alleyway that looked vaguely familiar. There was a line of warehouses on either side of me. I was back to where I last saw Jake alive, where I last heard his voice. I shook the memory from my head and continued forward, looking for the one with 4933. There weren't addresses, just large numbers on the warehouse doors. The last warehouse on the right had 4933 written plainly on the door in red paint. Did I knock, did I just…walk in? I took a chance and confidently opened the door. It was completely dark inside. Was this a set-up? Did they know? My hand felt along the wall for a light switch. I heard a click and the room was suddenly illuminated. It looked just like I had imagined it. A large warehouse of boxes, with a metal staircase in the corner, heading up to what I imagined to be Aro's office. It's light was off. There was a large floor to ceiling sliding door to my left. That must be where they kept the drugs that Jake saw. I shuddered at the thought that it might be the room that he died in. I couldn't think about that right now. My mind had to be completely clear.
"Impressive Bella. That didn't take half as long as I thought it would." A tall, thin man stepped out from behind a large wooden box dressed in a dark designer suit.
Jasper, Emmett and a few others stepped out from the other boxes. I scanned the crowd for the only other face I knew. Edward wasn't there.
"Aro." I nodded slightly as a sign of respect.
"So my Jasper tells me he thinks you'd be a good asset to our team." My eyes flitted to Jasper. He didn't make eye contact, he didn't smile. He just looked straight ahead.
"Fortunately for you from what I've seen and heard I agree with him." A wave of relief washed over me. "However, we do not just let people into our family without them proving their loyalty." He picked at his nails, looking bored. "Are you willing to prove this?"
"Of course Aro."
"Edward?!" Aro tilted his head to the side towards the large door. My heart accelerated at the sound of his name. I didn't know what they were about to throw at me, but I wouldn't lie, I was nervous as hell. I fought against the shaking in my legs.
The screech of the door made me shoot straight up. I was tempted to turn my head and peek at the man advancing towards me. I could see the movement from the corner of my eye and a large white mass. And red. Lots of red moving from side to side. The large white tub of red, frothy liquid was set before me by a mop of bronze hair in a black leather jacket. He didn't look up at me and I didn't make an effort to peak at his face. I finally forced myself to look at the tub. It was blood. My breathing stopped. I was terrified to know what that had to do with my "initiation."
"Kneel please." Jasper brought a large chair to Aro, in which he sat and crossed his legs.
I did as he said and dropped to my knees in front of the tub. Emmett came up slowly behind me and restrained my arms behind my back. He leaned close to my ear.
"It's better if you don't open your mouth," he whispered. "Squeeze my arm three times when you need to breathe. I wouldn't want to lose something as beautiful as you just yet. It'll be our secret." He slowly ran a finger down my spine.
My face turned to stone before he violently pushed me forward, submerging me in the thick red liquid. I did as he said, and fought my hardest to keep my mouth shut. I wanted to scream. To fight for air. But I kept it shut. This was a test I was determined to ace no matter how hard I had to fight. I counted to twenty before I squeezed Emmett's arms. I could have gone longer; depriving yourself of oxygen was part of my training. I didn't want to appear suspicious. He brought me up suddenly. I felt my hair matting and sticking to my skin as the blood dripped down my face. I couldn't help it; I had to open my mouth to breathe. I spit out the substance that made its way onto my tongue.
"Again." Aro tapped on the arm of the chair.
I was plunged once again into the tub. Then again. And again. Each time I increased my counting slightly, in an attempt to prove myself. I didn't say a word throughout the whole thing. I didn't scream, I didn't protest. I just took it. That's what they were looking for anyway. Someone to keep quiet. If I could hold in my complaints about being dipped into a pool of blood, I would surely keep all of their secrets.
"Enough." Aro raised his hand. "Very good Bella. Not a screamer I see." He smirked, acknowledging his sexual innuendo. All of the men surrounding him laughed. For once I thanked all those disgusting pigs at my office for giving me a tough skin with this kind of stuff. It didn't bother me one bit.
"Stand her up Emmett."
Emmett's strong hands pulled me to my feet. I wondered what was next. Walking across hot coals? Eating a scorpion? I ran through all the episodes of Fear Factor in my head, trying to imagine what they'd do to me next.
"I can see she'll do fine on all of our other pretests." Aro smiled at me. Pretests? What the fuck was the real test?
"Edward." He gestured behind me. "Please take Bella down to her…accommodations."
I brushed away the hair that was sticking to my face and wiped the liquid away from my eyes.
A hand grasped around my arm and pulled me towards the large door. I could feel the leather of his jacket brush against my skin.
He towed me through the large empty storeroom until we reached a small door on the opposite side. He opened it and pushed me through into complete darkness. The only light came from a small opening at the end of the long hallway. My hand reached for the side to guide my way. I started walking forward. Something small, fast and furry scurried across my foot. I pulled it back.
"Keep moving." His voice was like velvet, even when its tone was cold. I still couldn't see his face. I could barely see my own hand in front of me. I took a confident step forward and stumbled on the uneven ground, falling forward. I tumbled around a few times, feeling the scrap on my knee and the knock to my head.
Edward let out an annoyed sigh. The kind people get when they place their hands on their hips and shrug their shoulders waiting for something. I felt him whoosh past me. His body partially blocked the small light source at the end of the hallway.
"Are you finished being a clumsy bitch?"
My shock was audible. I stood up and brushed myself off, following him down the hallway. We eventually made it to the source of light, a small room, if you could call it that. Looked more like a stone closet. There was a small pillow in one corner and a toilet in the other. I turned and gasped when I finally saw him. His hair was groomed, but a little shaggy, falling slightly over his eyes, which still refused to look at me. His mouth was in a hard line and his brow furrowed. How could he be so cold…and so utterly beautiful at the same time?
"Emmett will bring you your food. And I'll tell him to bring you a towel and some bandages." He nodded towards my knee.
"Thanks" was all I managed to spit out.
Without another word, or even acknowledgment of my presence he closed the door quickly behind him. I heard the clink of a padlock and the echoes of his footsteps down the hall.
I pressed lightly against where I thought I had hit my head. It was tender and sore already. I pulled my hand back and saw the red spots of blood on it. I wasn't sure if it was my blood or whoever's I'd been dumped in. I looked around the room once again. I wonder how many people before me had been in here? My hands ran over the cobblestone-like walls. They stopped when my fingers grazed over scratches in the stone. Five of them, right next to each other. Nail marks. I pulled my hand back quickly. God. What did I get myself into? I leaned my head back. I must have nodded off.
I awoke to the sound of the door creaking open. Emmett walked in with a plate of bread, a glass of water, a small black bag and a huge grin.
"Hey girl, how are you holding up?" He set the plate down on the ground and walked over to me, sitting on the ground beside me.
"How long have I been in here?" I squinted into the darkness.
"Seven hours." He pulled a small towel, some antiseptic, and some bandages out of the bag. Unscrewing the cap, he dumped some antiseptic on the towel and began to dab at my forehead.
"Anywhere else?"
I looked down at the dirt stain on my knee.
"Lift up your pants."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Nothing funny here. I'm just trying to help you out."
I tugged my pant leg up, granting him access to the large scrape on my knee. He took my leg in his hand and pulled it onto his lap, dabbing at my cut.
"Geez, Edward said you were pretty banged up, but I didn't realize you were this clumsy." He laughed.
"What the hell is his deal anyway? He's kind of a dick."
Emmett placed a large bandage over my knee.
"He has to be. He's still the newbie. Well I guess he won't be anymore, as long as you survive this." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Edward isn't a bad guy once you get to know him."
"Sure," I huffed.
"Well there you go. Dr. Emmett took care of the boo boo. Do you want me to kiss it?" He batted his eyelashes at me.
"No thank you Dr. Emmett. I'm perfectly fine." Despite the situation I was in, I still had some wit left in me.
"Alright." He stood up laughing. "There's some bread and water for you. I'll bring some to you twice a day so don't get too greedy in the morning or you'll be real hungry by 2 o'clock."
He turned to leave.
"Hey Emmett. Thanks…for the help. You know earlier." It was good to make good connections with the people you were looking to bust. If I had to be friends with anyone, Emmett wouldn't be so bad. At least he had a sense of humor. And he did really help me out earlier. I can't imagine what the tub of blood would have been like if Edward had been holding me down.
"No problem. I hope you enjoy your accommodations." He winked and bowed sarcastically before leaving the room. I sighed as I heard the click of the padlock again.
I'd been in that room for a full week. I'd been counting how many times Emmett had brought me food. I ate when I was hungry, but not too much. That wasn't hard. The bread was disgusting. Mostly I just slept. It wasn't too bad for what it could have been.
Emmett and I engaged in small talk and witty banter for the few minutes that he was in there to drop my food off.
On the eighth day I smiled a little as I heard the lock click, knowing I'd see "Dimples" again. I'd let it slip that he had killer dimples. It was kind of an inside joke now.
The figure that came through the door was not "Dimples", nor was it Jasper. It was Dickward. He wore the same jacket from before and carried nothing in his hands.
"You look good," he laughed. It was a laughing at me, not laughing with me type of sarcastic laugh.
I huffed as I stood up.
"And chipper as ever," he added with a crooked smile.
"What the hell is your problem?"
"I don't have a problem." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
"Obviously you do. You have a problem with me and I don't know why. You didn't have to be such an asshole when I fell coming in here." I looked down at my feet.
"You tripped…over absolutely nothing. Who does that?" I could answer that question. Me. And frequently. I'd have to work on that if I knew I would be ostracized each time I did.
"Whatever. Where's my food?" I held out my hands. I was famished.
"What do I look like Miss Whiney Ass, your own personal room service?"
I dropped my hands.
"Fine then if you aren't here to bring me food why are you here?"
"Boss wants to see you." He bit at his nail.
Aro wanted to see me. I didn't know if this was a good or bad thing. I felt like I hadn't gone through enough torture to be done yet.
"Well." He gestured towards the door, annoyed.
I started down the hallway, stumbling slightly due to my frailty from lack of food. Edward snickered behind me.
We finally made it back to the big storage room and walked across it. Edward opened the large door. In the main entryway, I was greeted by a small group of elaborately dressed people. I recognized some of them. Aro was there, and his brothers Marcus and Caius. There were also a few elegantly dressed women standing next to them. A blonde and a brunette were on Aro's arm. They looked young.
The group stood around a long, wooden dining room table, draped with an elegant red tablecloth. Candles lined the middle of the table and great silver food plates littered the table. It looked rather out of place in a warehouse setting. My mouth salivated at the smell of the amazing food.
"Bella. Welcome. You are to the final phase of initiation into the family. Please keep in mind that this initiation is not final. You will be considered a new member, lowest on the seniority poll until you further prove yourself."
I nodded in acknowledgment.
"Demetri, the brand." I was so taken back by the familiar name that I failed to realize what he was holding. This was Demetri. The Demetri from Jake's tape. He walked towards me with a long stick, the end glowing orange.
"Where at boss?"
"Felix. Please…remove her clothing." Another man stepped from the group and walked over to me. He grasped the waist of my pants firmly and tugged hard, ripping them away from my body. He then unbuttoned my jacket and threw it to the ground. I stood, shivering slightly in my lacy silk cami and my boy short underwear.
"Inner thigh," Aro said.
Demetri knelt down in front of me and placed his cold hands on my right knee, pulling it to the side.
"Bella. Do you swear allegiance to the family Volturi? Do you give your body and your soul to our cause and our survival? If you accept this and the code of Omerta simply say yes."
"Yes." I was fairly certain of what came next.
"Emmett. The towel."
Emmett stepped towards me and told me to open my mouth. "Trust me, you'll want this." He stuck the towel into my mouth and then forced me to bite down on it.
"Let it be done." Aro clapped his hand once.
Demetri smirked. I writhed in pain as the poker burned onto my skin. I bit down hard on the towel, not ashamed to let my screams out. A small string of smoke rose in front of me and the smell of burning flesh overwhelmed my nose.
The poker could have only been on there for a few moments, but it felt like each second was a century. I couldn't stop the tears escaping out the side of my eyes.
The burning subsided only slightly after he removed the red hot poker from my leg.
The next thing I knew Emmett was scooping me up and carrying me up the stairs to a small bathroom beside Aro's office.
"Here put this on it." He handed me a cold, damp washcloth.
"Fuck! Damn it!" I held the cold compress over my burn. This was without a doubt the most pain I'd ever been in. Ever.
"Move the cloth." Emmett had a tube of something in his hands.
I eyed him suspiciously. I didn't want to take away the cold.
"Move it."
I reluctantly pulled the cloth away, exposing the burn to the air. It burned for an instant before Emmett began putting something icy on it. It didn't take the pain away, but it dulled it away to something that was almost bearable.
"There. Does that feel better?"
I didn't answer. I just breathed deeply. In and out. In and out. Trying to regain my composure.
"I know. It hurts like hell." He pulled up his sleeve, revealing a strange scar in the shape of a V.
I looked down at my thigh and saw the same V in my red inflamed skin. I'd been branded.
He put some more ointment on my burn before covering it with a bandage.
"Here," he threw me some sweatpants. "Put these on. Sorry mine were too big. I had to steal Edward's."
"Really? You couldn't have taken Jasper's? You know Edward hates me." I reluctantly put the sweat pants on, moving slowly over the bandage.
"Jasper isn't really a sweatpants kinda guy Bella." He opened the door and we began to descend the staircase. I noted everyone's eyes on me, especially Edward's searing cold ones. His followed me intently as I walked across the room back over to a smiling Aro.
"Welcome to the family."
A/N: So we're two chapters in. I wanted to hurry up and get the first two up because I don't like it when stories only have one chapter. Also, these may be a little more spaced apart then my past stories. I'm really trying to take my time and making sure that I get everything right, since I'm not an expert in the mafia. I'm even using a mafia dictionary thing on the internet, so believe me I'm trying to make it as authentic as possible. Also, playlist for the story is on my profile. I'll also be adding pictures of what I picture some of the characters to look like eventually. That might not happen for a few days. You don't have to look at them, I'd love you guys to have your own ideas of what Mobward and the rest look like, but I'll post them just so you know what image I had in my head.
So what do you guys think of our first glance of Edward? Or Dickward? Or Mobward? Whatever you want to call him. He seems like an asshole, but I have to admit there's something incredibly sexy about a Mafia guy in a leather jacket. Especially one like Edward. : )
